Artist Diana Nolan

Multi Stone Lanyard
I went a little funkier than usual on this one. Chip beads were included! These are always fun to make since I can get away with putting stones together that would never marry alone!

This lanyard is available at Etsy.

Artist Diana Nolan
Artist Diana Nolan on Etsy creates such sweet watercolor cards.

 I purchased these 3 for Valentine's Day.

I adore the glitter around the pretty hearts.

Here's an adorable bunny card, perfect for Spring or Easter!

Bunny Card

Sweet cupcakes (no pun intended!).

Cupcake Card

Father's Day.

Father's Day Card

Thank you.

Thank You Card

So the next time you are looking for a beautiful card, check out Artist Diana Nolan on Etsy.

Thank you for stopping by and as always have a great week ahead! Stay warm too! ~Val

Newburyport

Calcite Bracelet

 Calcite has always been a favorite of mine for its color. Some pieces have a lot of white milkiness which is beautiful. This bracelet is available at Etsy.


Newburyport
Jim and I took a ride up to Newburyport, MA on a Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago.

The downtown has tons of open space for strolling.

It is full of shops and eateries. While most are mom and pops, that is a Starbucks straight ahead!

Lot of antiquing!

If you don't have an Orange Leaf  near you I am so sorry! These are frozen yogurt shops that are less than a couple of years old in my area. I have no idea where they originated from but the concept is brilliant!

You get your cup and fill it with whatever soft serve flavor you would like. Mix, match, whatever! They even pair up flavors so they come out in a swirl! 

Then there is a massive toppings bar with the typical to non typical toppings! They charge by the weight!

We did skip the yogurt that day and went for The Grog instead. This pub has a delicious menu with an insane black bean and sweet potato burrito that is to die for!!!

We stopped in a great place with awesome stuff from the past.

This is an Annalee doll of Bob Cratchit from a Christmas Carol.  If you are not familiar with these I believe they were all handcrafted in Meredith, NH back in the day. When I looked on their website I was sad to see that it appears they are now made in China (although still designed here). 

We strolled the boardwalk too!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful summer week. It is crazy that summer is already getting close to an end! ~Val

This Week's Blog Post

Sea Opal Glass

Sea opal glass is a manmade “stone” that has a pretty, soft opalescense. It is a pale blue that reflects pastel colors when light hits it certain ways. 

This sweet bracelet is available at Miss Val’s Creations.

Golden Globes 2013 Fashion

It is awards season again so of course I need to show off some gorgeous dresses as well as some interesting ones. I love going through the Yahoo report card to see what I agree with and disagree with each awards show and the following are pulled from there.

I will start with interesting. Now I love Lucy Lui (been a fan since Ally McBeal). I actually love the dress too and Carolina Herrera. However the print is a little wild for the red carpet!

Lucy Lui in Carolina Herrera

What I love about Helena Bonham Carter aside from her quirky movie roles is her sense of fashion. Always a bit off beat! How great is her red lips clutch?

Helena Bonham Carter in Dolce & Gabbana

Here is one of the most talked about of the evening. This is Katherine McPhee in a serious plunger! The dress is a bit boring but she does rock it!

Katherine McPhee in Theyskens' Theory

This dress on Kaley Cuoco was a favorite of mine although the Yahoo police gave her a D rating! I will admit the hair and makeup is not working for her. If Halle Berry was wearing this one it would have been rated an A, Right?

Kaley Cuoco in Zuhair Murad

This dress on Julianne Hough is just a stunner!

Julianne Hough in Monique Lhuillier

I thought Sofia Vergara’s gown was amazing with its detailing and crazy shine! This photo does not do it justice but when she was walking she was sparkling!

Sofia Vergara in Michael Cinco

Nicole Kidman looked classy and beautiful as always. I love the mid section of this gown.

Nicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen

As a Gleek, I am throwing in Lea Michele just because. This gown is so elegant. 

Lea Michele in Elie Saab

Thank you for stopping by! Have a marvelous week!!! ~Val

This Week's Blog Post

Freeform Wire Earrings
I had some time to play around with wire! I love the look of freeform designs. These findings were made with 18 gauge sterling silver filled wire and hammered flat. Since they are for myself I used inexpensive steel ear wires!

Eventually I will get around to making findings like this for the shop!!! The various loops are great. The findings look pretty solo but all sorts of beads could be dangled to make unique earrings or pendants!

More Etsy Stuff!
My 10 year old niece is into One Direction! More fun things to shop for on Etsy! If you do not know what One Direction is, they are like the new New Kids On The Block or the new Nsync.

Niall Horan is her favorite One Direction band member.  This bracelet is from iccgiftco. It came with 2 different bands so she can change out the look with outfits!  You can find all sorts of fun bracelets here.

This Mrs. Horan 1D necklace is from Tag Soup. This is a great shop for personalized hand stamped jewelry pieces.

This unique nightlight is from Cheryls Creative Block. Each side has a different photo of One Direction! This shop also carries a variety of other fun nightlights for any obsession.

This personalized water bottle is from On Your Mind Designs.  This shop has cool tumblers, water bottles and more!

I also made her a necklace using zebra print beads. I could have sworn I took a photo of it but can't find it!!!

It is time to say Happy New Year! I hope you all have a brilliant, prosperous, happy 2013. ~Val

This Week's Blog Post

Safari Jasper Bracelet
Safari jasper makes me think of all the colors one would don if going on an African safari. I fancy its color, probably because a safari is my ultimate dream vacation! It is the most exciting (and most expensive) item on my bucket list!

The small beads here are chrysanthemum stone which match the dark grey markings perfectly! This bracelet is available at Miss Val’s Creations.

Festival of Trees Part III
Here are the last of the Festival trees I enjoyed!

Owls were part of many trees this year!

This is my favorite bird. I always love their shape and eyes! Such a gorgeous predator! Owls were so popular that they made the topper for 3 trees!

I noticed when loading up this photo that there is a mouse at the bottom. Dinner perhaps?

Country style is not me however every year I love seeing a country theme tree.

I guess I am fond of the style for the Christmas holiday! There is always a couple decorated this way.

Here is the Wizard of Oz! The plushies are a little creepy looking but dolls can be so sometimes!

I love how this one is decorated with the snowy berries and pretty ribbons.

I wish everyone a safe and wonderful week ahead. I would love to end on a happy note but we have had a couple of horrible tragedies this week in the US that I believe have us all on edge. I can’t help but think about what the families and friends of those affected are going through. L ~Val

This Week's Blog Post

Pyrite Bracelet

When I was a little girl I had a mineral collection. One of my favorite pieces was a chunk of pyrite. I love its brassy grey color!

The barrel shaped pyrite beads are accented with black onyx.  A perfect bracelet for fall and winter! Available at Miss Val’s Creations.

Portsmouth, NH Part III

Part III is very floral! There were more amazing flowers in Portsmouth this time than any other time we have visited here! So of course I had to take many, many photos!

There is a huge garden area near the water with a brilliant selection of flowers. So many different types and colors!

Each flower is labeled so if you want to take notes for your own garden you know what to ask for at the garden center!

There are beautiful flowers throughout the city too. This sweet hibiscus was in a doorstep pot. I have never seen one that was multi colored before!

This pretty pink one was in a beautifully landscaped bank parking lot.

This black plant is real! It is in the window of a wine bar titled The Black Trumpet. The plant choice must have something to do with their theme. You can see fresh baked bread cooling in the window. Oh how I wish I could eat regular bread again! Jim and I have not been inside this place yet…maybe next year!

At Prescott Park there is a pretty fenced in garden area with brick walkways and benches. 

There are many magnificent window and door photos on Pinterest so I started a new board this week. I added this photo since it has charm. I love the window barely showing behind the sunflowers and ivy.

Ending the post with a little street art! This one seems appropriate with all the shark sightings, close calls and one shark attack we had off the coast of Massachusetts this summer!

The guy who got attacked is fine. He had the bright idea of swimming out really far (with his son) to a sand bar knowing of all the shark sightings. Maybe he wanted 10 minutes of fame which he got! People are nuts.

I hope you enjoyed all these floral delights! Thank you for stopping by and have a great week ahead! ~Val